Grown Up Nonsense
by toesalignedarch
Summary: AU. Sequel to Hallway Shenanigans. Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, and Sango move on with their lives after Kagome and Sango graduate from college. Together, they take on the challenges of adult life: job applications, marriage proposals, field trips, and (gasp) kids! Take a peek at their grown-up lives, told in chapters of 1000 words!
1. A Surprising Slice

**A/N** : aaaaand welcome to the sequel of Hallway Shenanigans! As you may have noticed, the title is in the same kind of format (ha, see what I did there?) but this story should stand on its own! Which means you don't need to read Hallway Shenanigans to understand what's going on here, but you should read HS if you have the time ;)

anyway, I'm SO glad I upped the word limit to 1000 instead of 250; so much easier to write! I'm also probably not going to be able to update every day, but I'm planning on updating maybe once or twice a week (depending on how much time I have! at least the semester is ending soon)

I'll stop rambling and let you read, now. Hope you enjoy! Please review if you are so inclined!

* * *

 **A Surprising Slice**

* * *

"I can't believe we did it," Kagome screamed over the roar of the stadium. She took off her cap and tossed it into the air, taking in the image of a thousand black caps floating above the heads of the recent graduates.

"This is insane," Sango shouted back, reaching up to grab her cap as it came crashing back down to earth. Kagome tried to do the same, but only got stabbed in the eye by the corner of the cap. Typical.

A few hours later, the two graduates sat around the dining room table in Inuyasha and Kagome's apartment. Inuyasha had gotten the apartment after his graduation a year earlier. When he had asked his girlfriend of three years to move in with him, Kagome agreed without a single moment of hesitation. Hey, she got her own shower and toilet, and she didn't have to deal with other people's hairballs in the drain. Worth it, in her opinion.

"To Kagome and Sango," Miroku said, raising his glass to the table.

"Kagome and Sango," the group around the table echoed before drinking.

Coughing slightly as the champagne slid down her throat, Kagome grinned at her friends around the table. "I'm so glad you all could make it," she said, her heart truly warmed by the presence of her closest friends.

"Oh please," said a petite girl with brown hair. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else!" Kagome had met Rin in one of her history classes the past academic year and had bonded instantly. Despite being a year younger, Rin was bubbly, adorable, and a joy to be around. Basically, (in Kagome's humble opinion) a mini Kagome.

"You're so sweet it's sickening," muttered a woman with jet black hair and eyes so bright they looked crimson. Kagome had met Kagura in one of her philosophy seminars and had been instantly intrigued by the intimidating woman. Though she was a year older, Kagura had taken a liking to Kagome, and became great friends.

"I'm honestly just here for the cake," a woman in the corner announced dryly. Kagome befriended Kikyo after a week of hesitating. Kikyo, dubbed the "Ice Queen" at their college, was the smartest and most frigid woman Kagome had ever met. But when she saw Kikyo carry an injured student nearly two miles to the nearest hospital during a particularly severe winter storm, Kagome decided she needed to be friends with that woman no matter what it took. The two bonded over their love for archery and caring for others. Turns out Kikyo did have a soft side, and Kagome had been one of the first to see past her cold exterior into her soul.

"It doesn't matter," Kagome said with a laugh. "I'm just glad you're all here."

"And I can't wait until you all leave," Inuyasha grumbled from his spot beside his girlfriend.

"Oh, hush, you," she scolded playfully.

"Can we at least pull out the cake?" he whined.

"Fine," Kagome said with a resigned sigh. "I'll go get it."

Kagome stood up and headed to the adjacent room to grab the cake. Miroku stood up, unnoticed, and followed her.

"Kagome? I have a request to ask of you," he whispered quietly once they were alone.

"What is it?"

"Sh! Well, okay, first of all, you have to promise you won't freak out."

Kagome nodded, slightly suspicious.

Miroku let out a stressed sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "Okay. Well, I'm planning on proposing to Sango— YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T FREAK OUT!"

Kagome froze, her mouth wide open in a silent squeal. She blinked, and slowly raised her lower jaw. She took a deep breath and nodded, signaling Miroku to continue.

"Right. So, I wanted to do it now. What do you think?"

Kagome pursed her lips for a second. "Actually, I think it'd be great. All of our friends are here, and it is technically her party too. I say go for it. I'm so excited—!"

"You need to calm down or I won't let you help," Miroku said sternly. Kagome shut her mouth and nodded eagerly.

"Okay. So, here's the plan…"

By the time Kagome emerged from the kitchen with slices of cake in her hands, Inuyasha had endured enough.

"Finally!" he snarled when he saw her. "Took you fucking long enough!"

She flashed a warning look at him and (big surprise) he either didn't see it, or saw it but didn't care enough to decipher it.

"Do you know how hard it is to listen to these idiots bicker? I'm going to fucking explode—"

A well placed fork full of cake shut him up.

"Effective," Sango commented, giggling at Inuyasha, who had a bit of icing on the corners of his mouth.

"Here's your slice," Kagome said, sliding a plate to Sango. "Miroku's bringing the others— Wait! Don't pass it on. It's your party too, so you better eat that one."

Sango took her slice back and rolled her eyes. "So bossy," she muttered under her breath.

"Now you know how I feel," Inuyasha said around a mouthful of cake.

Kagome was too busy staring at Sango dig into the cake to listen to him. Miroku slipped into the room unnoticed by Sango, who was busy scarfing down the slice. As she dug her fork into what remained of the cake, a quiet _ding_ resonated through the room.

"What—?"

Sango lifted her fork and there, hanging on one of the tongs, was a beautiful silver ring.

"What is—?"

She whipped around to find Miroku on one knee.

"No," she whispered breathlessly.

"Yes," Miroku countered, offering her a small smile. "Sango, I love you, and only you. I want to make you the happiest woman alive; I'll give you everything I can and I'll do whatever I have to, but Sango, will you make me the luckiest man alive and marry me?"

She threw herself, sobbing and laughing hysterically, into his arms.

"I'll take that as a yes."


	2. A Doomed Date

A/N: I got a little too excited and decided to write this chapter instead of doing my homework! Don't be like me, folks. Do your homework. Don't get too used to this pace, though. I'm still probably going to update once or twice a week (aiming for twice, tbh) not once a day.

But anyway, here's chapter 2! Hope you like it, and don't forget to review (if you are so inclined!) :)

* * *

 **A Doomed Date**

* * *

"Sango! I got it!" Kagome screamed into the phone.

"No way!" Sango screeched back. "Holy shit! I'm so proud of you, Kags! I knew you'd get it!"

Kagome let out a shaky sigh. The past two weeks had been extremely stressful: Kagome had applied to become a teacher at the local Shikon Elementary School. This morning, when she saw an email from the head of the school district, Kagome immediately dialed Sango's number. To her credit, Sango picked up on the second ring.

"I can't believe it," Kagome mumbled happily into the phone. "I got a job!"

"I'm so proud of you. All sarcasm aside, I really am. Fuck, I'm too excited to do anything now! Dammit!"

"So sorry," Kagome laughed.

"Anyway, I would love to chat but I have to go to work now. I'll be over later to celebrate!"

"Sounds good; looking forward to it. Have fun at work!"

Sango scoffed. "I would if I could. See you later, Kags."

"See ya!"

Two weeks later, Kagome stood in front of what would become her classroom next year. She watched as Inuyasha waved before speeding off.

"I wish I had a car," Kagome mumbled sadly.

Shikon Elementary School was one of the most prestigious elementary schools in the country, and she felt extremely fortunate as she wandered around the school. How elementary students didn't get lost in here was a mystery to her; she could barely find the main entrance, even with a map in her hands.

She would be teaching the first graders, something she was ecstatic for. She absolutely loved working with kids. Looking around her room, Kagome began to plan out where she would hang her motivational posters, her alphabet posters, and where she would leave blank to hang up student-made work.

"I can't wait," she whispered giddily.

After taking a brief tour of the school with the principal, an older lady named Kaede, who reminded Kagome very much of a female version of her grandfather, Kagome walked across the street to the local high school, Tama High School, where she would be the coach of the swim team and advisor for the Archery Club.

Scrambling into the room in which coaches and advisors were gathered for an informal meeting, she took the only empty seat she could find in the room.

"Fancy seeing you here," a familiar voice said beside her.

"Huh?" Kagome looked up and found herself staring into crystal blue eyes. "Koga?"

"Glad you still remember me," Koga said with a charming smile. "It's been ages, but you look beautiful as always. How are you?"

"I'm… fine," she stammered, still taken aback. What was he doing here?

"You look fine," he complimented smoothly.

Kagome blushed. "I'm seeing someone," she told him.

"Of course you are, you're looking right at me, aren't you?"

"Er, no, that's not what I meant—"

The Head of Athletics and Extra-Curricular Programs walked into the room at that moment, effectively cutting off Kagome's timid explanation.

"We'll talk later," Koga said with a wink before facing the front of the room.

"I would like to take this moment and thank everyone for taking a few hours out of your summer vacation and joining us here today. Now, we have a lot to cover…"

As the Head droned on about rules and procedures, Kagome found her mind wandering around. What _was_ Koga doing here? She hadn't seen him since she broke up with him. And was he _hitting_ on her? What did that even mean?

"Now, I would like to introduce a few new faces we have," the Head annonced. "Kagome Higurashi? Please stand. Ms. Higurashi will be the coach of both swim teams, and will act as the advisor for the archery club."

A brief round of applause accompanied her as she awkwardly sat back down in her seat.

"Do we have an Ayame Ookami in the room? Ah yes, assistant track coach and…"

And with that, Kagome zoned out again.

The meeting was over before she knew it, and Koga decided to accompany her to the door.

"Really, you don't have to—"

"What kind of man would I be if I didn't? Don't worry, Kagome, I won't let anything happen to you."

"We're just walking...nothing's going to happen."

"You never know," Koga said seriously. "Strange things happen to lovely women like yourself."

"Koga," she said, grinding her teeth. "I'm seeing someone."

"That's what they all say," he replied with a wide grin.

She stifled a groan and physically restrained herself from slapping her palm to her forehead.

"So, what are you doing tomorrow night?"

They had reached the door and Koga, in a sweeping gesture, pushed it aside and motioned for her to walk through first. As she did, she thought she could feel Koga's gaze traveling up and down her body. She shivered.

"I'm actually going to dinner with my _boyfriend's_ family," she told him.

"I don't remember inviting you to have dinner with my parents," he said with a frown.

"Er…"

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She took a quick glance and smiled in relief.

"I have to go now," she said, edging toward the parking lot where she could see a familiar silver car streaking towards her.

"Okay, it's a date, then! No guarantees you'll meet my parents though."

"Look. Koga, I'm—"

"Tell me all about it over dinner. I gotta go too; see you later!" He kissed her on the cheek and disappeared in a blink.

"What the—?"

"He. Did. NOT. Just. Do. That."

Kagome cringed. "…how much of that did you hear?"

"All of it," Inuyasha snarled.

"It's not what you think it is—"

"It BETTER not be!"

"Just let me explain—"

"Later." He pushed the car keys into her hands. "Get in the car."

"…where are you going?"

"To take care of something— well, _someone_. If you hear police sirens, run and pretend you don't know me."

"…police sirens? Inuya—?"

Too late; he was gone.


	3. A Miserable Meeting

A/N: welp, here's me trying to procrastinate on my paper again! Here's chapter 3 :D Again, please don't hate me once I start not updating every day *tee hee*

* * *

 **A Miserable Meeting**

* * *

"Fucking wolf," Inuyasha grumbled, shaking out his hand as he gripped the steering wheel with the other. His blood was still boiling from the incident at Tama High School. Even punching the bastard didn't help calm him down.

Kagome had reprimanded him for it as he dropped her off at their apartment but he was only half listening. The fucker deserved it, in his humble opinion. Still, Kagome didn't seem too pissed. After about ten minutes of yelling, she cooled off enough to ask Inuyasha about his day. He responded as civilly as he could, but with his mind still on the sight of the wolf kissing _his_ girlfriend, his answers were less than coherent. Kagome didn't seem to mind, though. When he pulled up to the door of their apartment, she kissed him and thanked him for rescuing her.

"I fucking hate my job," he complained. After dropping Kagome off, Inuyasha's presence had been requested at a board meeting for the company at which he worked. Tetusaiga Corporation, run by Inuyasha's father, Taisho, was one of the wealthiest companies in the world. Did Inuyasha know that? Hell yeah he did; how else could he have bought Kagome that new necklace she wanted? Did Inuyasha know what the company did? Fuck no.

"Stupid fucking meetings," he groaned as he stepped out of his car and strolled across the parking lot to the elevator.

"I hate my life," he announced as the elevator doors opened on the fiftieth floor.

"Fuck this shit," he mumbled as he opened the heavy wooden door to the conference room. Inside, his father had already started presenting something to a room full of people in black suits. Inuyasha glanced down at his rumpled dress shirt and wrinkled black pants before shrugging slightly and slamming himself down into the empty seat next to Sesshoumaru.

"You're late," Sesshoumaru told him.

"Bite me," Inuyasha retorted.

Taisho continued to talk about stocks and markets and other things that flew over Inuyasha's head. Fiddling with a loose thread hanging from his shirt, Inuyasha wondered what it would take to get out of the meeting.

"You're not getting out of this meeting," Sesshoumaru whispered to him.

"Fuck you," he snarled back, a little louder than he meant to be.

The entire room turned to look at him. Blushing, Inuyasha glared at them and sunk into his chair. _This is officially the worst day ever_. Eventually, the room had enough of staring at the top of Inuyasha's head (the only part of him visible above the table) and turned back to their boring meeting.

Maybe he could throw up on Sesshoumaru again. Actually, no, he did that last week. Maybe he could kick a hole in the table— wait, no, he already broke a chair this month. What about getting Kagome to call him so he could leave— no, he did that yesterday. Dammit. Knowing that he'd already used all the excuses he could think of, he figured maybe he should try to be a good employee and listen.

"…investors are asking for financial statements so they can review…"

Ah, nope. Never mind.

The meeting seemed to stretch on forever but just as Inuyasha was about to stand up and leave the room screaming, Taisho dismissed the room.

"Finally," Inuyasha hissed under his breath. He packed up and left before anyone else had even stood up yet. Taisho, watching his son leave, sighed and shook his head.

Outside the meeting room, Inuyasha took a deep breath and let it out in a huge sigh.

"I hate my life," he said out loud. Despite the crowded common area, no one turned to acknowledge him. The other employees were used to Inuyasha's tantrums and fits; none of them wanted to get involved. The last time someone did, they didn't come back to work for nearly three weeks. Inuyasha glanced around, hoping for someone to make eye contact with, but no one dared looked at him.

"I just want someone to yell at," he muttered as he left the common space and headed back into the elevator.

"Why won't anyone listen to me?" Inuyasha whined as he slammed a wooden door shut behind him.

"What's wrong, Inu?" Inuyasha's secretary (of sorts) asked as his stunning boss stomped into their shared office.

"Too many damn things," he said venomously.

"Do tell," Jakotsu said eagerly, leaning forward.

"First that damn wolf tries to steal my fucking girl, and then I get yelled at for punching him even though he _totally_ fucking deserved it, and then I had to drop her off at home, alone, and I had to come here and this is literally the worst day _ever_ and I swear to god, if he shows his face around her ever again I'm going to kill him."

Inuyasha panted as he finished his rant. Jakotsu had somehow moved from his desk across the room to sitting on top of Inuyasha's desk. His face was an inch away, and was staring at him intensely. It made him slightly uncomfortable.

"What're you staring at?" he demanded.

"You're sexy when you're riled up," Jakotsu whispered sensually.

"Uh…"

"And if she ever leaves you for that delicious wolf, don't worry babe. I got you covered."

Inuyasha blinked at his assistant. Was he…hitting on him? Jakotsu winked and licked his lips seductively. Yep, he was hitting on him. Inuyasha tried to think of something to say that wouldn't hurt Jakotsu's feelings, but his mind was drawing a blank (no surprise there).

Instead, he gave a shaky laugh and muttered, "Um… I think, uh, I hear someone calling my name. I'll see you later. Bye."

Before Jakotsu could say anything, his boss disappeared. The only trace he was ever in his office was the door slamming shut and the lingering scent of his cologne.

"Darn," the man muttered, sliding back into his seat. He pouted and took a deep breath, relishing in the remains of Inuyasha's smell.

"Next time, I'll get him for sure."


	4. A Precious Present

A/N: See, I told you it would take forever for me to update again. I'm sorry it took as long as it did :( I had so many things come up this week (among others, a midterm exam, a paper, and two problem sets) but I'm pretty much good now! All I have to do is research for 2 projects and write 3 more papers and memorize 4 new songs for a capella and then I'll pretty much be done with the semester. *internal sobbing*

In any case, here's chapter 4! I'll try to have chapter 5 published before a week is up :) don't forget to review (if you are so inclined)!

* * *

 **A Precious Present**

* * *

"I have a favor to ask of you, Kagome," Miroku's voice said over the phone. Kagome switched her phone into her other hand and continued folding the fresh laundry.

"What is it?"

"Well, lately Sango has been a little stressed, and I feel like I should do something nice for her."

"That's a great idea," Kagome exclaimed, tossing a folded shirt onto the growing pile of clothes.

"The thing is, I don't know what to do exactly."

Kagome pursed her lips. "Hm. Did you have any ideas?"

"I thought maybe a nice dinner, but I don't want her to stress over her looks or looking good— I mean, she always look good, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah, yeah, I get you. What about a little vacation?"

"I can't," Miroku said miserably. "I have meetings pretty much everyday, and I don't think Sango has any spare time on her hands either. I mean, I barely get to see her and when I do she's always too tired to make love—"

"That's great," Kagome interrupted, blushing furiously. "I don't need to know that."

Miroku chuckled. "I digress. Do you have any ideas? Something simple, romantic, and preferably not expensive."

"Actually… I think I have an idea. Are you free right now? Great. Meet me at the animal shelter in 15."

Kagome strolled up to the local animal shelter with a bullet proof plan in mind. The worn down building was painted a light sky blue with white shutters. From the outside, she could hear the excited barks of puppies and the quieter meows of the cats. An occasional bird tweeted through the open windows, and every now and then a pink rabbit nose appeared over the ledge.

"What exactly are you planning?" came Miroku's voice over the sound of crunching gravel.

"Well," Kagome said, turning around to greet her friend with an enthusiastic embrace. "I was thinking of something romantic, and remember how you got Sango that stuffed cat-demon thing?"

"Kirara?"

"Yeah, that. Well, I was thinking, what if we got her a _real_ kirara?"

"Kagome, cat-demons don't exist."

She sighed. "You idiot. I meant a cat!"

"Oh," Miroku muttered dejectedly. Then his eyes lighting up. "She _does_ like cats."

"I know! Come on, I'm sure the shelter has some beautiful cats that look just like Kirara."

They walked through the main door, decorated with carvings of various pets, and were immediately greeted by an energetic young woman.

"Hi there! My name is Ayame, how can I help you today?"

Kagome blinked at the woman, whose fiery red hair looked strangely familiar. "Aren't you the assistant track coach at Tama High School?"

"Oh, yeah, this is just my volunteer job," Ayame said. "I love animals! Especially wolves, but I'm actually very glad that there aren't any wolves here. Anyway, how can I help you today?"

Miroku stepped forward. "I'm looking for a cat for my fiancée," he said smoothly.

"That is _so_ cute! Any ideas on what kind?"

"Pale yellow with black markings?"

"Got it. Follow me!"

Kagome and Miroku followed Ayame into the shelter and through room after room filled with blankets, toys, and food and water bowls. Every where they went, all sorts of animals crowded around to see them. Puppies barked and wagged their tails, kittens meowed and twitched their ears; the occasional bird flew above their heads as they passed, and a snake in the corner ever lifted up its head and flicked its forked tongue at the humans.

"Are you looking for a kitten or a cat?" Ayame asked as they walked.

"A cat," Kagome and Miroku said at the same time. They turned to look at each other and laughed.

"Sango doesn't have time to train a kitten," Miroku explained.

"And a cat would be less fussy," Kagome continued.

"Sounds good to me. Here, why don't we come into this room on your left."

Ayame unlocked a door and Kagome found herself in front of a room of cats lounging around on their beds. Immediately, her eye caught on one who looked just like Kirara except she only had one tail (thankfully).

"Miroku, look!"

"Wow," he breathed. "She looks just like Kirara. She even has a diamond looking thing on her forehead. That's perfect. Can we take a look at this one?"

"Of course," Ayame replied, and picked up the cat. As soon as he got a closer look, Miroku knew she was the one.

"I hope Sango loves her," he whispered to Kagome as Ayame sorted his forms into a new manila folder. She glanced at the purring cat in Kagome's arms.

"Don't worry, she will," Ayame assured him.

"She better," Miroku joked with a grinned. "Come on, Kagome! We have to go shopping before Sango gets home."

Three hours of Miroku's reckless driving, four pet shops, and one WacDonalds stop later, Miroku and Kagome finally had everything they just bought stacked in a large pile on Miroku's front lawn. Working quickly, Kagome wrestled a magenta collar over Kirara's yellow fur while Miroku decorated a water bowl with Kirara's name. Kirara, for her part, cooperated wonderfully.

Miroku's phone buzzed and he gasped. "She's coming home! Ten minutes!"

He scrambled inside and grabbed the stuffed Kirara that Sango snuggled with when she was lonely and placed it outside in the lawn. The real Kirara sniffed at the stuffed animal curiously.

"Just stay right there," Miroku told the cat. She meowed back.

Five minutes later, Sango drove up and parked her car outside of the garage. Raising an eyebrow at her best friend and fiancée, who were sitting on the ground, she stepped out of her car and gasped.

"Another Kirara? Where'd that come from— IT'S ALIVE?!"

Amid the high-pitched squealing that followed, Kagome gathered 2 things: Kirara was the cutest damn thing Sango had ever seen, and Miroku was the greatest fiancée ever.

"I'll leave you two alone now," Kagome called to the couple.

They were too busy kissing to notice her leave.


	5. A Dressful Dinner

A/N: Sorry for the long time it took to update this! Yesterday was the boston marathon and we had off, and it was such a nice day that I couldn't resist spending all of my time outside with my friends :) It was so wonderful! Hope you all have had a good week (or something like that) since I last updated. Chapter 6 should be up sometime within the next week.

* * *

 **A Dressful Dinner**

* * *

"Kagome! Look, isn't this the most _beautiful_ dress you have ever seen?"

Kagome glanced up at Izayoi, who was cooing— yes, _cooing_ — at a baby blue ball gown. She gave the dress a quick glance; it was pretty, sure, but not jaw-dropping gorgeous.

"It's nice," she said neutrally before turning back to her own rack.

Not a minute later, Izayoi yelled, "what about this one? I think it matches your eyes _wonderfully_!"

Withholding a sigh, Kagome glanced at the frilly pink dress Izayoi was holding up from across the store. Inwardly, she cringed at the amount of lace and sequins the designer had forced upon the poor dress.

"Eh, not a fan of the ruffles," she called back pleasantly, waving her hand in the general direction of the dress. Izayoi, determined as ever, nodded and continued looking.

Why did she have to agree to go dress shopping with Izayoi? It wasn't that Kagome didn't love that woman— she _adored_ her— it was just Kagome had suffered through a long week and had been looking forward to relaxing with Inuyasha in their apartment. Then, Izayoi had called with a dinner request and asked if Kagome would like to join her in finding a suitable dress for the occasion. With Izayoi's sweet-talking, how could Kagome say no?

"This is literally so dumb," she mumbled to herself. It was only a family dinner, after all. Why did she even need a new dress? She had plenty hanging in the closet that she shared with her boyfriend. Then again, she wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to update her wardrobe.

At that moment, Kagome's phone buzzed in her pocket.

 _Sesshoumaru is being an ass. Can I kill him?_

She giggled a little, Inuyasha's request for her permission brightening her mood a bit. Her thumbs flew over the keyboard and she sent her response within seconds.

 _I don't think Izayoi would be very happy with you if you did_.

Seconds later, another buzz.

 _True, but you didn't say no, so does that mean I get to kill him?_

"Idiot," she muttered affectionately.

"Was that Inuyasha?" Izayoi asked from right behind her.

Kagome yelped and whipped around. Somehow, the older woman had managed to sneak up on her— holding at least ten gowns in hand, no less— and apparently overheard her muttering.

"Yep," Kagome responded, tucking her phone into her pocket. "He wants to kill Sesshoumaru. He actually asked me for permission, but I told him you wouldn't be too happy."

Izayoi threw her head back and laughed heartily, startling some of the nearby shoppers. "What'd he say?"

"He said, 'you didn't say no so can I still kill him?' And I didn't get a chance to respond yet."

Izayoi chuckled. "Always trying to find loopholes, that boy," she said good naturedly. "Well, I've got a whole bunch of dresses I want to try on and I need your opinion. Hurry now, we've only got a few more hours."

Those few hours crawled by, and Kagome helped Izayoi open the door to her own house; the older woman's hands were full of plastic bags and countless gowns.

"Thank you, my dear," she said with some effort, shifting the position of her hands so the dresses wouldn't fall.

"Do you want me to—?"

"I got it. Come in, Kagome. Let's see how the boys are doing."

Passing on the stack of dresses to the butler, Izayoi waved Kagome into the grand mansion once more. The sound of voices floated through the air as the two women neared the kitchen. Kagome braced herself for the disaster she was sure would be waiting for them once they rounded the corner. When Izayoi had told her that she put Taisho, Inuyasha, and Sesshoumaru in charge of making dinner, Kagome nearly spat out the sip of water she just took.

"Are you insane?" she had asked the woman. Izayoi had laughed it off, saying, "what's the worst that could possibly ever happen?"

Kagome tried to slow down as they neared the kitchen, but Izayoi snatched the younger woman's wrist and dragged her along. Did Izayoi _really_ think those idiots could work together to make a dinner without killing each other? They rounded the corner together. Kagome shut her eyes and winced at the scream of terror that was sure to come from Izayoi…

But it never came. Kagome squinted one eye open.

The kitchen was spotless. A neat stack of pots and pans, freshly washed, was laid out on a clean towel to dry. All knives were in their proper places, and there were no broken plates in sight.

"Huh," Kagome muttered. Maybe she had underestimated their maturity.

At that moment, Inuyasha came sprinting into the kitchen. At the sight of Kagome and his mother, he straightened himself and schooled his surprised features into a calm mask.

"Welcome home, mother," he said in a robotic voice. Kagome knew in that instant that not all was as well as it seemed. Since when was Inuyasha so _courteous_?

"Is dinner ready?" Izayoi asked, seemingly unaware of her youngest son's sudden change in demeanor.

"On the table," he replied, and Izayoi disappeared from the room.

"What happened?" Kagome demanded as soon as they were alone.

Inuyasha dropped his head into his hands and… was he _whimpering_?

"It was so awful," he whined, his voice slightly muffled by his hands. Concerned, Kagome grasped his hands within hers and urged him to look at her.

"What _happened_?" she asked again.

Inuyasha shook his head and raised his eyes to the heavens, as if asking for patience.

"It couldn't have been that bad," she prompted. "I mean, the kitchen is in tact and everything looks normal… right?"

"We, uh, may have _hypothetically_ gotten into a food fight," Inuyasha admitted quietly.

"So? Looks like you cleaned up just fine."

He gave a weak smile. "You haven't seen the living room."

A shrill scream of indignation filled the air and Inuyasha paled.

"…and mom just did. Fuck."


	6. A Celestial Ceremony

A/N: Surprise! I updated within 2 days! I decided to procrastinate on writing my paper (again) so I wrote this out! As you may have noticed, these chapters kind of jump around to different scenes, and I'm only doing that so I can keep the story moving. Just an FYI :)

* * *

 **A Celestial Ceremony**

* * *

"Remind me again why you chose this theme?" Kagome grumbled to Sango as she fanned herself with her hands. The sun was beating down on her head and, in an act of true friendship, she had offered the only spot of shade to Sango.

"Because I liked it," Sango replied calmly.

"Ugh."

Despite her complaining, Kagome was actually ecstatic. Sango looked absolutely stunning in her wedding gown. Instead of going with a bright white, she had settled for a pale pink that matched her signature eyeliner quite nicely. She and Miroku had decided on a wedding that was _heavenly_ , whatever that meant. Apparently, in their minds, it meant lots of natural light, which meant lots of time under the sun.

All negative thoughts aside, the ceremony was truly beautiful. Kagome had labored for hours to put up the cascading ribbons along the backdrop where Sango and Miroku had exchanged their vows an hour earlier. The happy couple had chosen a quaint little clearing in a nearby patch of forest, and with the changing colors of the leaves, the setting truly looked worthy of the heavens.

"Thank you so much for everything, Kagome," Sango told her maid of honor sincerely. "It really means so much to me."

Kagome waved off the thanks. "I know you'd do the same for me," she said with a smile.

"Would I though?" the bride wondered aloud, earning an indignant squeak from Kagome. They laughed it off and playfully insulted each other for a bit.

Sango and Miroku had already kissed, and now it was the awkward transition between the formal ceremony and the reception. As soon as she was done, Sango had dragged Kagome through the forest to a secluded strip of grass among the trees, where she had sat down and given her face a break from all the smiling she had done so far.

"You look radiant," Kagome commented as a particular ray of light caught on the iridescent material of her wedding gown.

"Don't I always?" Sango retorted. Kagome laughed and the pair fell into a comfortable silence again. Miroku had said he would come get them once he and the groomsmen had finished putting away the chairs and setting up the reception. So far, no Miroku.

"Shouldn't you change into your other dress?"

Sango looked down at the pale pink dress spread on the ground around her. If Kagome hadn't known her, Sango would've looked like a regal yet badass princess. "I should, shouldn't I? Yeah, can you toss me the dress?"

Within minutes, the badass princess had turned into the usual badass Sango. With the short back dress and magenta accents, she still looked lovely, just slightly more deadly. Kagome was about to comment on that when Miroku burst into the clearing.

"We're done— shit, you look hot."

Sango laughed. "You don't look too bad yourself," she purred as Kagome looked away, blushing and slightly uncomfortable. She wouldn't deny it, though. He had changed out of his black tuxedo and into his signature purple dress shirt, though it looked like the pants were still the same ones he wore during the ceremony.

"Why don't you get changed as well, Kagome? I don't think Inuyasha would be very pleased with you if you tried to dance with him in those heels of yours."

Kagome shuddered at the image of her trying to dance with her stiletto heels. She could hear the screams of agony as she misplaced her foot and stepped right into his foot. Yes, _into_.

"I will," she assured the groom. "Sango, go with him. I'll be there in a bit."

As the couple left the clearing, whispering lovingly in each other's ears, Kagome dug around in her bag until her hand caught on the silky fabric of her reception dress. It almost reminded her of her high school uniform: the top was pure white but gradually faded into a rich green at the bottom. She pulled out a pair of flats as well, and sighed in obvious relief as she slipped off the heels.

By the time she rejoined the party, the sun had begun its descent and was casting long shadows around the clearing. Immediately, she spotted Sango and Miroku whirling and twirling on the portable dance floor. Her heart wanted to burst at the sight of her friends; they were such a great couple, and she knew they would keep each other busy, irritated, and happy for the rest of their lives.

"What took you so damn long?" Inuyasha demanded as he approached her. He too had changed out of his ceremonial suit and had swapped the white dress shirt with a bright red one.

"I got distracted," she said with a laugh. He wrapped an arm around her waist and they stood facing the crowd.

She could spot her family chatting with Inuyasha's by the bar, some of their college friends, and a few of the couple's coworkers in their respective fields. Kagome had been secretly relieved when Sango informed her that the wedding would be relatively small. Fewer people to mess up in front of, she had told herself.

The gathering of friends and family cheered as Miroku dipped Sango so low, her ponytail dragged across the floor. Kagome cheered as well, earning a wink from Miroku and a blush from Sango before he whisked her into another fancy twirl.

"They look so good together," she sighed happily to Inuyasha.

"Eh," he said. "I think we look better."

She laughed while playfully scolding him for being disrespectful to the couple.

"I'm not being disrespectful," he defended. "It's true!"

She eventually gave up trying to argue with him; it was like trying to win a staring contest with a statue. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the orange sky accentuated the fiery leaves that surrounded the clearing, giving the entire space an ethereal glow.

"I hope our wedding ends up this good," Kagome whispered to Inuyasha.

"It will be," he assured her. "I promise."


	7. A Sweet Surprise

A/N: bleh! I'm so sorry this is so late :( all my work caught up to me, but today I'm finally done with my presentation and exam for two of my classes! Now I just need to finish writing my papers for my other two... anyway, here's chapter 7 :) I will do my absolute best to have chapter 8 up before next week! Thanks for your patience 3

* * *

 **A Sweet Surprise**

* * *

Kagome knew something was up the second she stepped through the door to the apartment. First, he was no where to be found. Usually when she got home from work, he would be lounging on the couch, surfing through the channels on their. Or he would be sitting at the kitchen table on his laptop, furiously typing an email to whoever needed to be yelled at electronically that night. But no, Inuyasha was not on the couch, nor was he at the kitchen table. Second of all, he always greeted her at the door with a smile (if his day had been good) or a kiss (if his day had been either really good or really bad). Yet no Inuyasha appeared in front of her.

"Hello?" she called tentatively. No response. She stepped fully into the apartment and shut the door quietly behind her as she scanned the living room and adjacent kitchen. Nothing. Where was he—?

"Hello," a voice said right behind her. Kagome shrieked and spun around, her keys sticking out between two fingers of her fist, ready to gauge out some eyes. As soon as her eyes registered the startled man, her fear turned to anger.

"What were you _thinking_?" she demanded, pushing Inuyasha's chest so hard that he stumbled backwards into the closed door. "I could've hurt you!"

"But you didn't. I'm too fast," he said, trying to placate his furious girlfriend.

"But I could have!"

Inuyasha tilted his head as he caught sight of her keys in her fist and nodded approvingly. "Good," he commented. "Glad you're able to protect yourself." Maybe she was hallucinating, but he sounded proud of her. Go figure. Kagome shook her head, exasperated.

"You're an idiot," she sighed. "Why do I even put up with you?"

"Because you love me," he responded with a cheeky grin, letting go of her hands and guiding her towards the kitchen table.

"There must be something wrong with me."

"Actually there are many things wrong with you—"

"EXCUSE ME?"

"…but that's why I love you," he finished smoothly.

"Good save," she said with a roll of her eyes.

Dinner was a peaceful affair that night, the couple having gotten their fill of arguments after the incident at the door. Upon putting away the dirty dishes, he suggested they go for a walk. Glancing out the window at the clear night, Kagome agreed and, after pulling on a light cardigan, the couple exited their apartment and started to stroll towards the local park where they would be able to view the stars the best.

After they reached the park, Inuyasha laid out the blanket he brought and settled down. Kagome sat down next to him and burrowed into his side, relishing in the warmth and comfort of his body against hers. Inuyasha pulled out a thermos of hot chocolate from his coat pocket (how men managed to fit so many things into pockets astounded her) and offered it to her.

"No thank you, I'm still full from dinner."

He shrugged and chugged half the bottle. Kagome slapped his arm. "That doesn't mean you can drink all of it," she scolded him playfully. "I want some later."

The two settled down as the night progressed, and ended up lying on the blanket in each other's arms. Above them, the constellations twinkled against the inky black sky.

"That's Orion," she said to Inuyasha, gesturing at three bright stars in a tight line. "That's his belt, and the three stars below it make up his sword."

"You mean his dick?"

"…"

"I mean, look at the fucking thing!" Inuyasha gestured at the same constellation. "It's definitely a dick."

Kagome groaned. Why did she even try with him?

It was about twenty minutes later that he spoke up again, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled around the couple.

"I'm sorry," he murmured quietly into her ear. Kagome stiffened and sat up, breaking Inuyasha's hold on her body.

"Okay, what's going on?"

"Huh?"  
"Don't play dumb," she accused. "You just apologized. By yourself. Without me yelling at you to. What did you do?"

Inuyasha scoffed, raising a hand to his heart in mock offense. "Excuse me?"

Kagome gave a small smile at his act and softened her words. "No, really, just tell me what's wrong. You never apologize on your own."

Inuyasha nervously bit his bottom lip and glanced away. "I… Well, I _am_ sorry about scaring you earlier today, but I did it for a good reason."

"And what was that reason?"

"I needed to distract you."

"From what?"

"How nervous I was."

Thinking back, Kagome suddenly realized exactly how peaceful and silent Inuyasha had been. Other than their yelling match after he snuck up on her, he had been totally agreeable and cooperative. Well, as agreeable and cooperative as Inuyasha can get.

"About what?"

Next to her, Inuyasha sat up and took a deep breath. "About this," he said, and taking his hand out of his magical pocket along with a small velvet box, he rose onto one knee.

"Kagome, I… I know we fight like cats and dogs, and I know I drive you insane all the time, and I know that I'm hard to deal with, but I love you with all of my pathetic heart. And even though you yell at me when I have no idea what I've done wrong and even though I sometimes don't know what to do with you, I do know at least one thing."

He looked into her eyes and said with the most confidence and honesty Kagome had ever seen him display, "I know I want to be with you for the rest of my life. So please, Kagome, will you stay with me forever?"

She didn't even care about the diamond ring in his hands as she threw her arms around his neck.

"I would love to," she said as happy tears pooled in her eyes, and pulled him in for a passionate kiss.


	8. A Dinner Date

A/N: I'm the worst person ever. It's been, what, almost a month since I updated? So so sorry. I had finals and then my parents and grandparents came up to take me home and then I went down to South Carolina to meet up with my childhood best friend (hadn't seen her in 2 years!) and I just got back a few days ago. I'm exhausted but it was so worth it! Anyway, thanks for your patience and here's chapter 8! I promise I will try my best to update as quickly as I can :)

* * *

 **A Dinner Date**

* * *

"I'm so glad you dragged me out here," Sango told Kagome earnestly as she patted her stomach. Kagome, buried underneath all the preparations for the current school year (not to mention discretely looking at wedding planning stuff; they hadn't picked a date yet but it never hurt to start looking early, right?), hadn't seen Sango in almost two weeks. The slightly older woman wasn't doing much better; her work had her so busy that sometimes she forgot to eat lunch and dinner.

"I'm glad, too. Sometimes I miss the college days," Kagome sighed, adjusting the waistband of her pants. The pasta entrée she ordered had been surprisingly filling and, sporting her slightly bulging stomach, Kagome wondered how long it would take to digest everything she had stuffed in her mouth.

"Right?" Sango took another dainty bite of the chocolate cake she had ordered, savoring the rich, creamy icing. "I miss having food all the time and getting the weekends off. You're lucky that you still do."

Kagome snorted. "Barely," she muttered. With the school year in full swing, Kagome was scrambling to stay on top of her lesson plans. Teaching the third grade was fulfilling but stressful.

"Whatever. How's being a real teacher?"

"It's… great. Honestly, it is. There's this one kid, Shippo, who's absolutely adorable. He comes into class everyday and is always smiling and always says hi to me. He kind of reminds me of a fox, that's how clever and sneaky he is. This one time he stole my coffee from my desk when I wasn't looking and I had to literally pry him off the walls. But whatever, he's adorable and I love him to death. I think he adores me, too."

"Who doesn't?" Sango asked, laughing at Kagome's smirk.

"Good point. Let's say he worships me, then."

"More than Inuyasha does?"

"Oh, please. Inuyasha doesn't worship me."

"He totally does!"

"As if."

"He'd do anything for you," Sango pointed out. When her friend opened her mouth to deny it, Sango shook her head. "Think about it, Kagome. If you want something, you get it. Most of the time, anyway. And even though he's a dick most of the time, he still does love you."

Kagome blushed and looked away from the earnest face of her best friend. Sango was right, of course. Even though the two fought like they were bitter enemies, Inuyasha always ended up doing what Kagome wanted him to.

"Miroku would do the same for you," Kagome said after a while, getting a little uncomfortable with the suspending silence.

"Mm," Sango responded vaguely.

"…right?"

"He's been acting weird lately."

"Weird? How so?"

Sango sighed and pushed the last bite of chocolate cake towards Kagome, who gratefully gobbled it up, ignoring the protest of her full stomach. "He's… well, let's just say he's been on his best behavior for a while now."

Kagome dropped her fork and stared at her friend. "No groping?"

Sango shook her head.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Ever since our wedding," Sango said after counting on her fingers for a moment. "The night after… well, yeah. But then the next day all I got was a kiss."

"Have you two, you know, done _it_ since?"

"Of course," Sango scoffed. "It's _Miroku_. But outside of the bedroom, he's been perfectly well behaved." She picked at her nails and bit her lower lip worryingly. "It's weird… and I don't like it."

Kagome pursed her lips. Miroku not groping Sango? That was practically unheard of.

"Do you think… do you think he's cheating on me?" Sango asked timidly.

"WHAT?" Kagome screeched, nearly flipping the table over in surprise. She ignored the annoyed looks from the other patrons at the restaurant and stared intently at Sango. "Do you have proof?"

"No," she muttered. "But why else would he be acting this weird? It's so unlike him."

"Well, first of all, I'm pretty sure Miroku wouldn't cheat on you. He worships you too much."

"He worships my ass," Sango corrected with a roll of her eyes.

Kagome gave her a small smile. "You and your ass," she amended. "And second of all, maybe this is his weird way of saying he cares about you. I know, I know," she said hastily at the confused look on Sango's face. "I know, it's totally backwards, but think about it. When you two were dating, that's all he did, right? Okay, well, not _all_ he did but he did it a lot. Now that you two are married, maybe he wants to show you that he's serious and doesn't just want to be with you for your gorgeous body."

Sango shrugged, though she looked relieved. "I guess," she said. Then her eyes brightened. "When's your wedding?"

"What? That was a quick change of topic."

"It was getting too depressing. So? When's the wedding? What's the theme? Most importantly, where's the honeymoon, hm?"

Kagome blushed and Sango laughed at her embarrassed friend. "You can tell me anything," Sango promised her with a sly grin. "I won't tell a soul."

"Too bad Miroku doesn't have a soul," Kagome muttered under her breath. Sango only laughed and snapped her fingers. "You caught me," she laughed.

"We haven't decided on a date, but I'm considering a few different themes. I was thinking maybe a historical wedding? I remember learning about a story back in high school where a half-demon and miko fell in love and I don't really remember the whole story, but I remember thinking it was cute."

Sango nodded enthusiastically. "Legend says the half-demon was rude and obnoxious, so Inuyasha will fit the role perfectly!"

Once they finished laughing, Kagome and Sango looked up the characters in the legend and assigned each of their friends to a character.

"There," Sango said with finality as she typed the last of the notes into her phone. "This is perfect!"

"I can't wait," Kagome said.

"Same. And I can't wait to hear all about your honeymoon!"

"…no, Sango. No."


	9. A Clear Choice

A/N: yes, I kind of forgot about this story in the rush of all the things I have to do this summer, but thank you to the kind people who favorited/followed this story recently because seeing those emails in my inbox reminded me that this story does exist and that I should probably update it.

* * *

 **A Clear Choice**

* * *

"Shippo?" No response. Kagome lifted her head from her attendance sheet and glanced around the room. Among the children sitting before her on the rug in the middle of the classroom, she didn't see the telltale red hair and mischievous green eyes. Frowning, she marked the boy as absent for the tenth day in a row. Where in the world was he? The main office hadn't said anything about the boy's absences, so she hadn't thought much of it until now. Ten days in a row…

After the last student stepped onto the bus, Kagome walked briskly back inside the school and headed towards the main office. The secretary was typing furiously at her computer, and it was few minutes before she even glanced up to see who had entered the office.

"Can I help you?"

"Hi, I'd like to ask about a student of mine. He hasn't come in for—"

The secretary held up a finger, effectively cutting her off, and picked up a phone from the corner of her desk. "Hello? Kaede? There's someone here to see you. Yes. No. I'm not sure. Yes. Okay, will do." With perfectly manicured fingers that were painted a violent shade of red, the secretary waved Kagome behind her desk and directed her to Kaede's office.

The door was open, and Kagome could see the old woman shuffling through some papers. At the sound of approaching footsteps, Kaede glanced up and smiled warmly at the new teacher.

"Miss Kagome, how may I help you?"

"Hello Kaede," Kagome greeted politely, walking into the office and sitting down on one of the soft couches in front of the principal's desk. "I was wondering if you could tell me anything about a student of mine? His name is Shippo Kitsune and he hasn't been in class for the past ten days."

Kaede's hands came to a gradual stop. Sighing heavily, she put away the papers and rested her elbows on the mahogany desk, fingertips touching. "I… I don't know if there's any _nice_ way to say this," she said. "He's… He and his parents were in an accident…"

Kagome's eyes widened and filled immediately with tears. "Accident?" she whispered, refusing to believe the worst case scenario that had popped into her brain.

Kaede nodded solemnly. "Shippo is fine. His parents, on the other hand…"

She didn't have to finish her sentence. Kagome bowed her head and let her tears drip onto her black pencil skirt. How _horrible_ , she screamed internally. She remembered how painful it had been when her own father had passed. Even then, at least she still had her mother, but poor Shippo…

"Where is he now?" Kagome asked, her voice cracking slightly.

"He's been taken into an orphanage nearby," Kaede said sadly. "Unless someone adopts him soon, I'm not sure what will happen. He's already past the most popular age for adopting…"

Kagome nodded, more tears falling. She had heard that adopting parents usually wanted infants and toddlers, not kids Shippo's age.

"Would it be wrong if I went to visit him?" she asked quietly.

Kaede offered the young woman a comforting smile. "I think he would enjoy that very much."

Kaede had been right; the orphanage was in fact only a short bus ride away from the school. She nearly sprinted through the main entrance and, with only a brief pause at the main desk to explain why she was here, she was led directly to Shippo's room. Upon seeing the boy, curled up in the fetal position on his bed, she burst into tears again.

"Miss Kagome?" Shippo said incredulously when he caught sight of his favorite teacher crying in the doorway. His own voice was scratchy from his distress, but the sight of her brightened his day just a bit.

"H-hello, Shippo," she said, trying to smile but failing miserably as yet another wave of tears cascaded down her face. "I'm so sorry…"

Tears began to fall down Shippo's cheeks. "I miss them," he whispered, and his pain broke Kagome's heart.

"I know," she murmured, entering his room completely and enveloping him in what she hoped was a comforting hug. "I wish I could do something more for you…"

A sudden thought struck her. She _could_ do more. Growing more and more excited as the thought circled through her mind, she could hardly contain her giddiness. "Um, Shippo?"

He sniffed and glanced up at her with watery green eyes.

"How would you like to come home with me?"

By the time her background check had been cleared, she had already finished filing the paperwork. Thankful for her access to Inuyasha's bank account, Kagome was pretty much all set to bring Shippo home with her. She nodded as the agent she was working with explained all the rules and laws regarding her relationship with Shippo, and mentally made a note to read more on all the things the agent was spewing at her.

It was late night when Kagome finally left the orphanage, holding a folder stuffed with papers in one hand, and cradling a sleeping Shippo in the other. When she had offered to adopt him, Shippo had burst into a fresh wave of tears. Through his hiccups and sniffles, he had agreed whole-heartedly to become part of her family. Immediately, she had contacted the adoption agency, and had explained the circumstances. Somehow, miraculously, she had been cleared to adopt right away. She wasn't complaining, though.

The bus ride home was full of racing thoughts and rampant emotions. What a day. Still, something was nagging at the back of her head, like she forgot to do something very important.

"What did I forget to do?" she mumbled out loud, running through her mental checklist. Did she forget to text Inuyasha back or something? No…

Then, out of nowhere, it hit her.

She had just adopted a child… without telling her fiance.

* * *

EDIT: changed Inuyasha's status as a to-be-husband instead of a husband! Don't you worry, you haven't missed the wedding chapter!


	10. A Crazy Confession

A/N: Thank you to the people who reviewed/commented on the last chapter! And look, I uploaded the next chapter within a week! It's a miracle!

Also, I wrote a bunch (read: 3) of AUs on my tumblr and I'm thinking of publishing them here just as a random collection of stories, so just a heads up!

* * *

 **A Crazy Confession**

* * *

Kagome stood nervously at the front door of her home. Her keys were fisted so tightly in her hands that her knuckles were turning white.

"Ms. Kagome? Is everything okay?" Shippo asked, tugging at Kagome's sleeve. Even though it was way past his bedtime, the young boy, who had fallen asleep on the bus ride home, was now wide awake and eager to see his favorite teacher's home. No, wait— his _mother_ 's home. _His_ new home.

Kagome forced a smile. "Yes, darling," she said, hoping her voice sounded as confident as she wanted it to. With a deep breath, she inserted the key into the lock and opened the front door. She was greeted with the smell of ramen, which was strange; she had asked Inuyasha to stop eating it. _I forgot to make dinner for Inuyasha_ , she realized with a start. The sinking feeling in her stomach intensified. _He's going to be so angry with me…_

But as she stepped into the apartment, he was nowhere to be found. An empty bowl and pair of used chopsticks decorated the otherwise empty table, and the plastic packaging for Inuyasha's favorite brand of ramen was littered on the kitchen counter.

"Wow!" Shippo exclaimed as he walked through the front door. "This is cool! Is that a real sword?"

"Huh? Oh, yes," she answered distractedly when Shippo gestured to Inuyasha's favorite sword on display above the electric fireplace. _Where was he?_ "Why don't you stay here for a bit, Shippo? Feel free to grab some snacks, I'm sure there's stuff in the pantry or the fridge. I'll be right back."

Leaving the boy to scavenge for food on his own, she walked slowly into the rest of the apartment. The doors to the bathroom and office were wide open, the rooms empty, but the door to the bedroom she and Inuyasha shared was closed. She swallowed nervously and knocked quietly on the door.

"Inuyasha?"

Silence. She knocked again, a little louder. "Inuyasha? Are you in here?"

This time, she received a response in the form of a grumble. Despite her anxiety, she allowed a small smile to form on her lips. He must've been sleeping… Oh no. Not only had she adopted a child without telling him, she had also forgotten to prepare dinner _and_ had woken him up? _He's going to kill me_ …

"Inuyasha? May I come in?"

"Why the hell wouldn't you be able to?"

"…right. Okay."

She entered the dark room and found Inuyasha sprawled across the bed. When he caught sight of her, he sat up and rubbed his eyes, his dark hair cascading around his head like a shadowy aura.

"Sorry," she said, unsure of what else to say.

"S'okay," he mumbled over an enormous yawn. "Where were you earlier? I thought you didn't have any meetings tonight."

She approached the bed and sat cautiously on the edge. "I didn't."

"Huh?"

"Inuyasha, I have something to tell you," she said finally. She cringed when she felt him stiffen next to her.

"Is this a bad thing?" he asked, his voice deceivingly calm.

Kagome gulped again. "Um, maybe? Depends on how you look at it…" her voice trailed off and she fidgeted with the edge of her blouse.

He sighed and leaned back onto his elbows, regarding her with narrowed eyes. "What is it?" His eyes widened, suddenly, and he sat up, a look of panic in his eyes. "You're not calling off the engagement, are you?"

"What? No! No, I would never!" Kagome responded immediately. His posture relaxed and he rested on his elbows again.

"Good," he said gruffly. "Then whatever you're trying to tell me can't be as bad as that would've been."

"Heh," Kagome laughed nervously. "Well, you see, the reason why I was so late tonight… I'm so sorry, I was totally caught up in the moment and I forgot… I would've called you if it weren't so emotional but I only just found out this morning and I lost track of time and a lot of other things, if we're being totally honest, but I—"

She was interrupted by Inuyasha's arms wrapping around her, drawing her close. "Slow down," he whispered in her ear. "What's got you so distressed? You can just tell me whatever it is. I won't be mad. Probably."

She sniffled, thoughts of Shippo's parents entering her mind. "I…"

He hugged her closer and rested his cheek on top of her head. "Tell me whenever you're ready," he said. She nodded against his chest but did not speak.

"I'm sorry for not telling you I was going to be back late," she whispered into the darkness.

His hands stopped rubbing circles in her back. "That's it?" he asked incredulously. "That can't be it, right?"

"No… Inuyasha, I'm sorry for not preparing dinner, too. I should've told you so you could have had a warning, and then maybe you could've gotten some real food instead of having to eat ramen."

He chuckled and resumed the circles on her back. "You make it sound like eating ramen is something horrible."

"It is! It's terrible for you, and it's—"

"Delicious," he finished for her. "But that can't be what's upsetting you so much, right? Just tell me."

A sudden crash sounded from the kitchen and Inuyasha tensed. "What was that?" he growled.

"No, no, Inuyasha, stay, please!" Kagome pleaded as he stood up and started for the bedroom door.

He paused and looked back at her, incredulous. "Someone could be robbing our fucking home right now and you want me to stay here?"

"That's not a robber," she rushed to assure him, standing up and joining him in the middle of the bedroom floor. "That's actually what I was trying to tell you earlier. Something terrible happened to my favorite student, Shippo and—"

The bedroom door slammed open, revealing an innocent Shippo, who was holding an unopened jar of peanuts in his hands.

"... I adopted him," Kagome finished timidly.


	11. An Encouraging Embrace

**_A/N:_ ** If you haven't seen it yet, I started a new story named **C'est La Vie** that's a collection of Inuyasha AUs! You should go check it out ;) don't forget to review if you are so inclined! Thank you to those of you who do review because you guys are the absolute BEST

Also a huge thank you to grapefruitwannabe because she drew a scene from hallway shenanigans and a scene from grown up nonsense and it was so beautiful that I couldn't fall asleep!

* * *

 **An Encouraging Embrace**

* * *

 _I hate Kagome_ , Inuyasha growled violently. How on earth had she managed to drag him into _this_?! He resisted the urge to slam his head into the seat in front of him only by digging his fingernails into the fake leather. The bus shook and wobbled its way down the highway, the driver not caring if they ran into a pothole or not. Already, Inuyasha had a few sore spots on his head from being thrown against the walls and ceiling of the damn bus.

Somehow, when Kagome had signed up to chaperone an art field trip for another teacher, she had conveniently forgotten that it was the same day as a spa day she and Sango had been planning for the past month. And when she asked, begged, _pleaded_ that he take her place, how was he supposed to say no? He regretted the decision now. Not only were the rowdy kids starting to get on his nerves, but one more bump on this ride and he would have a concussion for sure. _I don't think I've ever scowled this much… or this deep, for that matter._

He wasn't sure why the art teacher thought it would be a good idea to send a bunch of brats to an art museum, but here he was anyway. It wasn't like they would behave and appreciate the art. No, he knew from experience that they would end up having a contest on who saw the most "private parts." A smug smile crept on his face at the memories from his past. He had beaten Kouga by 1 male genital. _Suck it_ , he recalled saying to the mangy wolf.

Thankfully, the bus ride passed with no more bumps, and before he knew it, he was leading a group of six kids into the first exhibit he saw. Among the six children was Shippo, the orphan that Kagome decided to adopt without telling him. After his initial surprise at seeing a small child in his house, he had argued with Kagome about it, though the entire time he knew he would've done the same thing if he had been in her position. He wasn't _that_ heartless. Though he had been a little hurt that she hadn't thought to consult him, but emotions were running high at that time so he forgave her. Now, all that was left was for him to actually start liking the kid. Not only did Shippo interrupt his and Kagome's alone time, but the damn brat occupied every moment of Kagome's day. From getting ready for school, to going to school, to swimming lessons; by the time Kagome had put Shippo to sleep, she was too tired to even hold a conversation with him.

 _Damn the kid._

Shippo grabbed his hand and dragged him in front of a statue of some Egyptian god. Breathing a sigh of relief when he noticed a bench nearby, he told the children to behave and rested his legs.

 _Art museums are just sitting on benches and occasionally switching to another_ , he thought wisely.

By the time they made their way to the Ancient Rome exhibit, he was losing his patience. The kids had swarmed him with their questions that he didn't know the answer to, and with each "I don't know" he had to calmly say, he was screaming at least three curses in his mind.

"Mr. Inuyasha? What's that?"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. And another. And another. "I—"

"That's called Trajan's column," a familiar voice interrupted. He cracked open an eye to see that Shippo had made his way to the front of the group and was now gesturing to the image of a marble (or stone? He had no clue) column. "Trajan was the emperor and he ordered this to be made and if you look carefully, you can see that there's a story that spirals all the way up!"

Whispers of astonishment and amazement rose from the rest of the children. Eventually, their attention jumped to something else, and they all moved across the room. All, except Shippo.

"Sorry," he mumbled, staring at the ground.

"Uh, what?"

"I'm sorry," he said again, this time looking up at Inuyasha with bright green eyes. "I didn't mean to interrupt you back then. I won't do it again."

"You didn't interrupt me."

"Oh."

An awkward silence ensued, causing Inuyasha to fidget slightly. Finally, he blurted, "I didn't even know what that damn thing was anyway."

Shippo looked up at him with incredulous eyes. "You don't know Trajan's Column?"

"Why the hell should I? How do you know about it?"

"My dad…" his voice trailed off, and he looked back at the ground. His shoulders slumped forward. And suddenly, Inuyasha didn't know what to do. Sure, Kagome was the brat's new mother figure, but that didn't necessarily make him the father figure… right?

He knelt down to the young boy's level and put a comforting hand on his back. "Hey," he said softly. "Look at me." Shippo sniffed and slowly raised his head, revealing teary eyes. "I can't say that I knew your parents," Inuyasha started. "But I'm damn sure they'd be real proud of you for, you know, learning about Traying's Pole and remembering all about it."

Immediately, Shippo burst into tears. _Shit. Shit. Shit. FUCK. What did I do? WHAT DO I DO?_ But amid his panicked thoughts, he noticed that Shippo had flung his tiny body into his arms. Wrapping the boy in a hug, Inuyasha sighed and patted the boy on the back.

A minute later, Shippo sniffled and drew back. "Thanks," he said, wiping his eyes with the back of his sleeve. "I… I miss them."

"I know," Inuyasha said, for lack of better things to say.

"But… But you and Kagome will be there for me, right?"

How could he say no? "Of course."

Shippo beamed and started to walk away before turning back briefly.

"By the way, it's Trajan's Column."


	12. A Wonderful Wedding

A/N: tried to make this sweet, but tbh i'm not sure how I did... It's definitely a happy chapter though! as always, please review if you feel so inclined :)

on another note, I think grown up nonsense won't be more than 20 chapters long. I don't want to drag this out too much because I have too many other ideas slamming around in my brain :D

* * *

 **A Wonderful Wedding**

* * *

"I told you orange was a good choice," Kagome whispered slyly to her husband ( _husband!_ ). Inuyasha merely grunted, not really wanting to admit that she was right. But, as per usual, she was: the orange accents on the tables really brought out the fall foliage that surrounded the clearing. Through the colorful leaves, Inuyasha could see the darkening sky, smiling to himself as the stars began to emerge from the shadows.

 _I'm married now_ , he thought incredulously. A few years ago he'd been happy with his single life but now, he couldn't imagine his life without the short-tempered, too-trusting, and pain-in-the-ass woman beside him. A sudden rush of emotion swept over him, and he pulled his wife ( _wife!_ ) to his side and dropped a sweet kiss on her forehead. She only smiled and relaxed into the side of his body.

The newly married couple stood to the side of the clearing, watching their guests dance and chat. A small gathering of close family and friends had been invited to the wedding, and to the couple's absolute delight, everyone came. To their left was the table of snacks that Kagome had fought tooth and nail for. Inuyasha thought that having a barrel of apple cider was more than enough, but Kagome had insisted on candy apples, various flavors of miniature pies, and even a hot chocolate bar, completed with marshmallows, cinnamon, and extra chocolate. To their right was the platform on which actual food was served. Kagome had wanted fancy foods, but when Inuyasha pointed out they were already over budget, she relented and let Inuyasha have his ramen bar.

Shippo was racing around in the trees, leading the other children present in a whirlwind of games. He had already stuffed his face with ramen, pies, and other sugary foods, and didn't seem to be stopping any time soon. _Glad I won't have to deal with hyper Shippo tonight_ , Kagome thought; Sango had offered to take him for the night.

She wrapped an arm around Inuyasha's waist. "It all worked out in the end, didn't it?"

"Took a fuckin' miracle," he agreed, causing her to laugh and playfully smack his arm.

Throughout the entire planning process, the two had argued over pretty much everything. Kagome had wanted all of her college friends to be bridesmaids but Inuyasha wanted only Miroku as his best man. In the end, Kagome had relented, and only Sango and Miroku accompanied the couple down the aisle. Kagome had wanted to use orange as an accent color but Inuyasha didn't want anything. In the end, he had to admit: the orange did add a nice feeling to the whole area. Kagome wanted a fall wedding, Inuyasha wanted it to be in a forest; Kagome wanted traditional attire, Inuyasha wanted a more modern twist; you name it, they fought over it.

"I'm surprised the ramen bar was such a big hit," Kagome commented after a brief moment of silence when the empty trays on the table caught her eye.

"Keh, of course it was. It's _ramen._ Who doesn't like ramen?"

"But at a wedding?" she shrugged. "Who would've thought?"

"At least the kids like the snacks," he said, glancing over at the quickly dwindling pile of miniature pies.

"Who doesn't like snacks?"

"I don't."

"Liar."

He only chuckled and rested his arm around her shoulders. Thankfully, by the time the actual wedding ceremony came around, they had gotten it together and, with the help of Kagome's college friends, had scouted out, prepared, and set up a beautiful clearing that was only a mile away from their apartment. Everything else passed without a hitch (more or less), and before Inuyasha could complain that he was bored, Kagome had walked down the aisle in a white dress. They had enlisted Sango's pet cat, Kirara, to bring the rings, and before either of them knew it, they each had a band of metal around their ring fingers.

The entire audience had laughed good naturedly when Inuyasha blurted out a "finally," when the priest announced he could kiss the bride. Miroku's speech had only been slightly embarrassing, thanks to Sango's editing and live censoring. When it came for Kagome and Inuyasha to have their first dance, she only stepped on his foot twice and he only cursed out loud four times. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha only glared at each other from a distance and, surprisingly, did not start a food fight or knock down all of the plastic chairs in the area. Kagome was pleasantly surprised.

As the sun disappeared fully behind the rolling hills and trees, the ceremony began to wind down. Guests began to line up to thank the couple for the wonderful ceremony and to drop off last minute gifts. By the time Sango and Miroku shoved the last of the plastic folding chairs in the trunk of their car and drove off, only Kagome and Inuyasha remained in the empty field.

"That went better than expected," Kagome said with a soft smile. "You only said 'fuck' ten times!"

"Shut up," he growled good naturedly, tickling her. Laughing, Kagome kicked off her heels and, lifting some of her dress, started to run towards the middle of the field. Startled, Inuyasha kicked off his dress shoes and followed. By the time he caught up, Kagome had laid down on her back, her dress spread around her. _What a fucking angel_ , Inuyasha thought affectionately as he laid down next to her, careful not to lean on her hair with his elbow. They stayed in silence, staring up at the stars.

"I've been dreaming about what our wedding would be like ever since you proposed," Kagome finally whispered into the silence. "And… it exceeded all my expectations and wildest dreams."

Inuyasha smiled and pressed a tender kiss to her lips.

"Every moment I spend with you exceeds my expectations and wildest dreams," he murmured lovingly into her ear. Kagome blushed and hid her face in his shoulder.

"I love you."

"And I, you."


	13. An Edible Escape

A/N: this chapter is dedicated to the wonderful grapefruitwannabe for being such an amazing person and for drawing scene(s) from hallway shenanigans and grown up nonsense! hope this is what you expected (or even more?) keep doing what you're doing, love!

* * *

 **An Edible Escape**

* * *

Kagome sat at the kitchen table, drumming her fingertips impatiently against the wood. She glanced at the clock and let out an annoyed sigh: only a minute had passed since she last checked. Even Shippo, ever the energetic child, was slumped upside-down on the couch, barely paying attention to his favorite cartoon that was playing on the TV. He had rejected all of her ideas to do something else, so they both sat in silence, vaguely aware of time crawling by.

 _I miss Inuyasha_ , Kagome thought. He would know what to do. If he saw them like this, he'd yell at them to "get your lazy asses up" and do something productive. Kagome sighed again and resisted the urge to check the clock. _If only he were here…_ But alas, like a real adult, Inuyasha had already left for work a few hours ago, kissing Kagome on the lips and ruffling Shippo's hair as he sprinted out the door. Against her better judgment, she glanced at the clock again. It was nearly 10:30, which meant Inuyasha had about an hour left until his lunch break. She could imagine him, sitting in a meeting, fidgeting and cursing under his breath… she giggled softly.

"Kagome?"

"Yes, Shippo?"

"When is Inuyasha coming back? I want to play catch with him."

Kagome smiled. While she could hit a bulls-eye with a bow and arrow no problem, her aim with throwing balls and Frisbees was severely lacking. Inuyasha, on the other hand, was a natural. "We've got a while until he's back," she responded, giving the boy an apologetic shrug.

He pouted and crossed his arms, causing him to slide towards the ground, head first. "I want him to be home."

"Trust me," Kagome muttered under her breath. "Me too."

A few minutes and a long mental speech later, Kagome sat up and clapped her hands sharply. "All right," she announced to the startled Shippo. "We're going to make lunch now, since we're not doing anything else."

"Okay." Shippo slid the rest of the way off the couch, stopping his head from slamming into the ground with his arms before sitting upright. "Kagome, what does Inuyasha eat for lunch?" he asked, walking over to the kitchen.

"Well, usually he buys ramen from the cafeteria but he says it's not that good—" Kagome blinked, a wide smile spreading across her face. She turned to her adopted son and gave him a playful wink. "Why don't we make lunch for him and drop it off?"

Shippo jumped around the kitchen excitedly, running into the table and chairs as he shouted, "yes!" over and over. Kagome grinned at his antics, then turned to the pantry and fridge.

"One bowl of homemade ramen, coming right up!"

* * *

Inuyasha stifled another groan as the man sitting across from him raised his hand to ask another question. The meeting he was sitting in had been going on for _ages_ and he still had no idea what it was about. All he knew was that these people asked too many damn questions. If it weren't for them, he could've left nearly an hour ago, but _no_ , the idiots had to ask the presenter to elaborate.

At the head of the long wooden table, Sesshoumaru sent his brother a glare that said _behave yourself_. Inuyasha sent one back that, roughly translated, meant _fuck you_. Sesshoumaru snorted and turned his attention back to the man at the podium.

 _If only Kagome were here_ , Inuyasha thought wistfully. She could make any boring situation fun. He could imagine her sitting across from him, making weird faces behind the presenter's back. Or maybe she would be sitting next to him, passing notes with dumb jokes and stupid puns. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, wanting desperately to loosen his tie. _Only ten minutes until lunch_ , he told himself. In ten minutes, he could stand up and simply _leave_ the fucking room and no one could do anything about it. _Only ten minutes left_ …

To say he was startled when the man sitting next to him jabbed him in the ribs would be an understatement. Judging by Sesshoumaru's amused face, he must've yelped or jumped out of his chair or something.

"What?" Inuyasha spat at the man who'd poked him. The man merely tilted his head towards the door of the meeting room, where one of the secretaries had poked her head in.

"Sir, there's someone waiting for you in the lobby," she told him.

 _Thank the fucking lord_ , he praised. In his haste to leave the room, he nearly knocked over the podium on which the presenter had placed his notes. Did Inuyasha care? Of course not. He didn't know who had requested to see him, but whoever they were, in this moment, he owed them one. Barreling down the hallway towards his office, he dropped off his suit jacket and tore off his tie, before walking leisurely down to the lobby. It wasn't like he was in a rush to get back to the meeting or anything.

He pushed through the glass door that separated the rest of the building with the lobby, and nearly tripped over his own feet when he recognized who was sitting on one of the benches meant for visitors.

"Oh, there you are," Kagome said cheerfully, standing up to greet him. Following close on her heels was Shippo, carrying a cloth bag in his hands.

"K-Kagome? Shippo? What're you doin' here?" he stuttered, automatically wrapping his arms around Kagome when she reached him.

"We brought you lunch!" Shippo announced happily, opening the bag and revealing a container full of homemade ramen.

Inuyasha was speechless. Raging emotions swirled inside him: surprise, relief, adoration, and (most importantly) love. Before he could stop himself, he placed his hands on the sides of Kagome's face and kissed her. Hard. When they broke apart to Shippo's complaining, he touched his forehead to hers.

"No one's ever brought me lunch before… I fucking love you."


	14. An Amazing Announcement

**A/N** : ah, yes. hello! I am still alive. I've recently started back up in college doing a whole bunch of different things. I'm sorry for not updating this like I said I would (2 months isn't thaaaat long, right?) but in any case, I really want to thank Grapefruitwannabe for being the reason I decided to finally write this even though I'd spent forever trying to figure out how to write this scene. Besides constantly reminding me how much she loved the prequel, she also sent me an ask on tumblr and ugh she is the sweetest human ever, hands down.

* * *

 **An Amazing Announcement**

* * *

The incessant ringing of her phone finally dragged Kagome out of her dream where she had been licking up the most delicious ice cream she had ever tasted. Groaning as her phone began to ring for the fifth time that morning, she crawled over to where she had thrown the device last night and glanced at the screen with blurry eyes and messy hair.

"Sango? Is everything okay?"

"Oh thank god," her best friend answered. "Did I wake you?"

"Er, well, yes, but it's fine. What's wrong?"

Sango chuckled nervously and Kagome heard the shifting of clothes over the phone. "Well… I need to tell you something."

"Okay, please do," Kagome said, eager to get back to her dream.

"But… it's not something I can say over the phone."

"Oh." _Damn_.

"Can you meet me at the café in an hour?"

"Sango, is everything okay?"

"We're fine— I mean, I'm fine. I'm fine. I just need to tell you… this."

Kagome sighed and glanced at the clock. "Okay," she agreed reluctantly. "I'll see you at the café at 9:30."

Hanging up her phone, Kagome groaned again and sat up in her bed. Inuyasha's side was cold, the usual occupant having left for work hours before. Shippo was at a friend's house for a sleepover and wouldn't be back until later in the afternoon. _I guess I can sleep a little longer_ , Kagome thought as she mentally listed the things she would need to do before leaving for the café. _I can get dressed in ten, do makeup in five, and be out of the house in twenty max. I can do this._

The agitated look on Sango's face as Kagome bent over in front of her, huffing and puffing from her sprint down the street told her that she could, in fact, _not_ do that.

"Took you long enough," Sango sniffed, glancing at her watch which said 10:15.

"I'm sorry!" Kagome cried, pulling up a chair and picking up her menu. "I fell back asleep and I forgot to set an alarm on my phone…"

Sango laughed and dropped the subject, staring at her menu distractedly. After ordering a light brunch, Kagome leaned forward on the table and stared inquisitively at her friend.  
"So?"

Sango glanced away and a blush fluttered over her cheeks. "So…"

"Just spit it out, Sango! I woke up extra early for this," Kagome urged jokingly.

"Okay, okay," Sango laughed, shaking her head. "Well, I… I guess there's no good way to say this, but…"

Kagome had to lean closer to her best friend to hear the last two words she uttered in a mere whisper.

"I'm pregnant."

The reaction was instantaneous. Kagome shot back into her seat so fast that the chair nearly tipped over; her hands flew to cover her cheeks, knocking most of the silverware off the table and onto the ground with an obnoxious clatter. Her face was pale, her mouth gaping wide open as she stared, dumbfounded, at Sango's amused face. Then, as if slowly being injected with caffeine, Kagome's eyes began to widen and a smile began to lift up her lips.

"YOU'RE WHAT?!" Kagome shrieked happily, standing up and throwing her arms around her best friend.

Sango couldn't help laughing at Kagome's contagious grin. "I'm pregnant," the older woman confirmed.

"I can't believe it! Actually, I'm not that surprised, given how much you and Miroku, uh… anyway, I'm so happy for you!"

Sango wrapped her arms around Kagome's slender shoulders and relaxed into the embrace.

"How long have you known?"

"A few days ago."

"That's… I can't believe this is actually happening. I'm so excited for you!"

"Thanks, Kagome. I think you'll say yes, but I was also hoping to ask if you'd be the godmother…?"

Another excited shriek confirmed her suspicions. By the time Kagome had calmed down enough to sit back down, their food had arrived and Kagome dug into her brunch with unrivaled enthusiasm.

"Does Miroku know?"

"He was the first person I told."

"What did he say?"

Sango laughed at the memory. "He did almost exactly what you just did, to be honest. Just kinda stood there in shock for a minute before taking me to the bedroom and… yeah. But he was happy."

"I can imagine," Kagome sighed dreamily. "He's always wanted kids, hasn't he?"

Sango nodded as she took a sip of coffee. "And now his wish will finally come true."

"I hope you have girls," Kagome gushed.

"I hope so too," Sango agreed. "But no matter what, I'll always love them."

Kagome smiled and put her hand over Sango's. "You'll be the best mother ever," Kagome said softly.

Sango laughed and squeezed Kagome's hand happily. "We'll see about that," she teased. "In the meantime, I need more food! I'm eating for two, you know!"

By the time Kagome finally let Sango leave the café, it was well into the afternoon. With a full belly and light heart, Kagome let herself into her home and collapsed immediately on a kitchen chair. _Wow,_ she thought. _I can't believe Sango's pregnant! I can totally imagine her as a mom…_

Meanwhile, Inuyasha had just spit his drink all over Miroku's shirt. The bartender, stationed in the back of the bar, shook his head and sighed.

"Sango's _what_?"

"Pregnant," Miroku said smugly.

"She's pregnant? Like, _pregnant_ pregnant? But… but how?"

Miroku sighed. "No, Inuyasha. She's _fake_ pregnant— of course she's real pregnant. And do I need to explain how babies are made?"

Laughing at his friend's suddenly bright red face, Miroku took another sip of his drink. He fondly remembered the moment when Sango told him the news. _The happiest day of my life_ , he decided, a smile creeping onto his face.

Inuyasha's head, however, was still trying to wrap itself around the fact that Sango of all people was pregnant. He was about to congratulate his friend when a thought suddenly occurred to him and he winced.

"There's going to be more of you?" he whined.


End file.
